their friendship is something else
by fixing a heart
Summary: Their friendship is something else. It's the thin line between friendship and romance, and, Merlin, that line is blurred.


A/N: This is for Round 3 of ToxicRainfall's Diversity Competition and the One Word Competition by avatarluv97 over at HPFC. Enjoy!

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Their friendship is something else. (It's the thin line between friendship and romance, and, _Merlin_, that line is blurred.)

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YEAR 3

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All he could think for the rest of that day was, "How was she not freezing? She had been talking about how terrible it would be when it finally snowed, carrying an extra cloak with her constantly, and the one time it snowed, she "forgot" it." What _was _ that? (It was just an excuse. Because maybe she has a small little, practically _non-existent_ crush on him, but she's trying to focus on them being friends first. [It's more romantic that way anyways.])

They'd never talked, really. It was always that they were in a big group, never on their own, never learning who the other one actually was. (She wants to know so badly. So does he. [Secretly.].)

He had just come back from Hogsmeade, muttering about how cold it was, amazed he could see his breath from the frost, despite it only being November.

He had found her sitting under a tree by the lake, glittering snow falling gently on the beautiful grounds. They would see ice form overnight on the aged spires of Hogwarts castle, by far one of the prettiest scenes most students had laid eyes on. Snow was laced, woven even, through her fiery scarlet hair that matched the shade of his own.

That was when he noticed she wasn't wearing her cloak. "Cold?" he asked walking closer to her. She nodded, and he tried not to shiver when he took of his own winter cloak and draped it over her small figure. She started up a conversation with the ginger boy, moving from small, insignificant topics to the future, after Hogwarts, and everything in between.

After an hour, they ran into the Entrance Hall shivering, cheeks red, ears numb. They climbed the winding, ever-changing staircases up to Gryffindor Tower, where they then occupied two soft burgundy arm chairs by the fire that faced the window. From there, they watched the icicles form till morning, keeping each other company till dawn.

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SUMMER: YEAR 3

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They stay by the lake near her house till late hours skipping stones. He stays in the spare bedroom. He turns 13. Her family helps his family surprise him. He's startled when his cousin tells him that Molly likes him. (It's just absurd. Molly wouldn't fall for her best friend. But he likes to think she might.) He tries to ignore the feeling he gets when he thinks about how she sleeps in the next room.

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YEAR 5

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He never says anything about it to her. She never mentions anything about it to him. But they both know it.

They stay up all night studying before they have to take OWLs. He needs help with Potions, she needs work with Charms. She 'teaches' him that he needs to read directions extra closely, he 'teaches' her the proper techniques for holding her wand and tries not the make it obvious that he's nervous because he's practically holding her hand. Sort of.

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SUMMER: YEAR 5

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The night they hear about the rising terror that is Lord Voldemort, she cries. He kisses her.

Everything is about to change.

Light is turning dark. Friendship is becoming love.

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YEAR 6

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It's sometime between the terrifying news articles and failed Potions grades that he first realizes he loves her.

It's under the tree where the first became friends when it first hits him. It's somewhere between the Entrance Hall and the Gryffindor Common room that he tells her. She kisses him, softly, sweetly, better than he ever imagined possible and, in breaking this kiss, she whispers that she loves him, too.

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SUMMER: YEAR 7

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The month after they graduate, Molly's family is killed by a group of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. They move in together and lean on each other more than ever.

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7 YEARS LATER

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By now members of the Order of the Phoenix are dead. The Potters are dead. They have no one. No one but each other.


End file.
